Full text of Electronic Currents : April 1997

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An Update for Eighth District Federal Reserve Bank Electronic Customers

April 1997

New Encryption Board Means Faster Processing
The new Jones Futurex Enc 347 encryption board has been certified. This encryption board will
allow you to utilize a PC processing at speeds up to and including 200MHz. You may order this
board by calling Troy Nimmo at (916) 632-3456, ext. 331. Troy will discuss details of the purchase,
shipping options and delivery time frames with you.
This board requires a new device driver and an updated copy of ReKap software. This software is
available upon request. Once you place your order with Jones Futurex, please contact us at
(314) 444-8711 or 1-800-333-0861 and press 1 for a Customer Accounts & Access Support representative. Just let us know you ordered the new board. We will ask you some questions and begin the
process of getting you this new device driver and ReKap software.

Fedline PC Hardware Requirements
If you are a current online Securities Transfer (ST) customer, you should have already received a
telephone call from a Customer Accounts & Access Support representative. The purpose of this
contact was to survey our customer's PC configuration. The results of this survey disclosed a number of our customers use 286 and 386 PC processors. Thus, the new Book Entry Securities Transfer
(BA) software may not load if you have one of these models with limited memory.

The BA software is scheduled to be distributed in April to current online ST customers. If you are
an ST online customer, you will need to act fast if you are using a 286 or 386 PC processor. The
conversion date for the new BA software is July 19, 1997.
The new FedLine publication mailed with the January issue of Electronic Currents listed hardware
configurations required for the new Fedline for Windows software currently being developed. We
recommend you review your current Fedline PC configuration and consider upgrading your hardware as soon as possible. We have several Fedline patches scheduled for deployment in 1997.
These will cause low memory type errors for many of you, especially if your Fedline PC is a 286 or
386 processor. The largest patch is the Funds Transfer Expanded Format Send patch, which is
scheduled for deployment during the third quarter of 1997.
If you are unsure of the new recommended configuration for a Fedline PC, please call
(314) 444-8711 or 1-800-333-0861 and press 1 for a Customer Accounts & Access Support representative.

New Book Entry Securities Transfer Training
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis is in the process of converting all Securities Transfer customers (SHARE) to the new application National Book Entry System (NBES). The Eighth District is
scheduled to convert all online customers on July 19, 1997. The Fedline training staff will be presenting the features of the new application with training sessions, free of charge.
A letter was sent to all online customers offering training at the St. Louis and Memphis Offices.
The sessions are scheduled to last three to four hours. All institutions registering for training are
limited to two individuals, because of space constraints. We recommend the individuals attending
training have knowledge of the Fedline software and Securities Transfer processing.

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Please return the enrollment form that was included with the letter as soon as possible; this will
insure you a spot in the training session of your choice. The training schedule is listed below:

Location
Memphis

Date
April 30

Time
8:30 a.m. to noon
1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

St. Louis

May6

8:30 a.m. to noon
1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
8:30 a.m. to noon
1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
8:30 a.m. to noon
1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

May7
May8

If you did not receive a training letter and you still need to register, please call (314) 444-8711 or
1-800-333-0861 and press 1 for a Customer Account & Access Support representative.

Contemplating Online Securities Transfer
If your institution is currently an offline Securities Transfer customer, and you are looking into the
possibility of going online, we have some important information to share with you.
The Securities Transfer application (SHARE) is converting to a new application National Book
Entry System (NBES) that will be used by all Federal Reserve districts. The Eighth District is
scheduled to convert all of our SHARE customers to NBES on July 19, 1997. All offline customers
planning to migrate to an online environment must convert (go "LIVE") with their Fedline connection on SHARE prior to May 5, 1997. Any offline customer who does not go LIVE prior to May 5,
1997, will be scheduled to go live after Julyl9, 1997.

If your institution is interested in becoming an online customer, please call (314) 444-8711 or
1-800-333-0861 and press 1 for a Customer Accounts & Access Support representative.

Questions and Answers
Q

I need a copy of a wire I received yesterday; however, I have performed cycle date rollover
and cannot reprint the wire. What can I do?

A

Your only option is to perform a message retrieval. Select Create a Message from the Funds
Transfer menu. Select Message Retrieval and fill in the fields appropriately. Enter R for
received; enter the sequence number of the wire you wish to retrieve in the Start and Stop
sequence number fields; enter the appropriate date (you can retrieve messages for up to two
previous business days); the Lterm field can be left blank; then press <ENTER>. To send
your retrieval request, make a connection over Session 2 (Central EPS). When the connection is completed, the retrieved wire will print.

Q

I sent my TT &L Advice of Credit, and I want to insure it was processed. What should I do?

A

Select Browse a Message from the TT &L menu and press <F4> to browse through your
advices, until the advice of credit in question has been located. Look at the Status field located in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. If the status is TA, it indicates the advice
was transmitted and processed successfully by the TT &L application. If the status is ET, you
must verify the message and then transmit it to the HOST. If the status is TC, it indicates the
HOST received the transaction, but you failed to receive the short acknowledgment validating it was processed by the application. Make another HOST connection over Session 3
(DU IMS) and look for a short acknowledgment. Refer to Appendix B of your Fedline
User Guide for more information.


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If you need the status of a previous day's advice of credit, you may call the TT&L department in
St. Louis directly at (314) 444-8509 or 1-800-333-0810, ext. 8509.

Q

I was changing my password and received this error message; PASSWORD HISTORY
ERROR. What should I do?

A

The FRB Host computer keeps a record of your most recent passwords. If you try to change
your password to a previously used password, you will receive this error message. You must
use a unique password every time it is changed to avoid this error message.

Q

How can I find out if an institution is an ACH receiver?

A

This information can be obtained online through the Automated Clearing House (ACH)
Application via Fedline. An institution can inquire on its own or any other institution's
profile by performing the following steps.

Accessing the screen
1. At the main Fedline menu, select AH-Automated Clearing House; press <ENTER>.
2. Select Option 50 - Request Customer Info; press <ENTER>.
Completing the Request
To perform a customer inquiry:
1. Note that your ABA is automatically entered in the Customer ABA field.
2. Enter the 9-digit ABA of the institution you are inquiring about (if other than your own
ABA), in the Inquiring About ABA field.
3. Press F6 and select the report type Customer Profile.
4. Press <ENTER> to queue the inquiry.
5. Establish a host connection on Session 1 (IMS DEPS) to send your request.
The profile report will print automatically on your Fedline printer. If you have questions regarding
any of the information on the customer profile, please contact our ACH Department at
(314) 444-8711 or 1-800-333-0861 and press 3 for an ACH representative.

Q

I've originated a payroll item to ABC Bank, and the customer is stating that the funds are not
available. How can I trace this item to verify that the bank received it?

A

A benefit of the 2.40.90 patch allows Fedline customers to inquire about ACH items processed
(sent or received) during the 10 previous business days. Inquiries cannot be made on items
being processed on the current business day. To perform an item trace, follow these steps.

To access the screen:
1. At the main Fedline menu, select AH-Automated Clearing House; press <ENTER>.
2. Select Option 60- Process File Information; press <ENTER>.
3. Select AHITMTRC Item Trace; press <ENTER>.
Completing the Request
1. Enter the 15-digit trace number and the FRB Process Date (see note). If you don't know
the trace number, enter the dollar amount, the RFI ABA, and the effective entry date of the
item; the FRB Process Date is not necessary.
2. Press enter to queue the request.
3. Establish a host connection on Session 1 (IMS DEPS) to send the request.
4. The report listing your item or an error message stating No Data Found will print on your
Fedline printer.
Note: Enter the process date range. To trace an item you must use the processing date upon
which the FedACH application received and processed the item. The "from" and "to" dates
may be the same if you are inquiring for just one date. If you are not sure when the item
was processed, but it is within the 10 business day window for FedACH, enter the FRB
Process Date and the "to" date in the mmddyy format. The most current date should always

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be listed as the FRB Process Date; FedACH starts with the process date and searches back 10
business days.

?? Did You Know ??
• Fedline LSA (Local Security Administration) training is held monthly and is free to anyone
requesting retraining. This is an excellent opportunity to have new LSAs and backup LSAs
trained by security professionals. For more information on training dates and locations,
please refer to the Fedline training schedule included in this Electronic Currents.
• You can cancel transactions in many Fedline applications by using" Alternate Actions." To use
"Alternate Actions" you must be in either the Update or Verify function. After bringing up the
transaction on your screen, press <F8> . Highlight Cancel a Transaction and press enter to
select cancel. Press enter a second time to process the request. The status field, located in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen, will reflect CN if your transaction was successfully canceled.
Note: You cannot cancel transactions after they have been verified and have a status of TQ.
• The current DOS-based Fedline software can be loaded and used on a PC with a Windows 95
operating system. Fedline operates using the stripped down version of MS-DOS included in
Windows 95. To load Fedline on a Windows 95 PC, you will need the Windows 95 setup
diskette, a new configuration diskette and a new generic set ofFedline software. If you have
any questions or would like to request this software, call (314) 444-8711 or 1-800-333-0861 and
press 1 to speak with a Customer Accounts & Access Support representative.

What Number Should I Choose?
Did you know when you dial your Fedline Support number, (314) 444-8711 or 1-800-333-0861, you
have the opportunity to reach several areas within the Federal Reserve Bank? Listen to the recording the next time you call, and make your decision based on the selections offered. We have provided some criteria you can use to make the best decision; your five choices are listed below:
• To speak with a Customer Access Support Technician, Press 1.
Press this number if:

You are having a connectivity problem
You have a basic Fedline functionality problem
You have a Fedline functionality question pertaining to a specific application
• For questions regarding your HOST password, Press 2.
Press this number if:
You have a problem with your HOST User Code (HUC)
You need assistance or have questions regarding your Local User ID (LUI)
You need forms for adding or deleting a HUC
You need an encryption key downloaded
• To speak to an ACH representative, Press 3.
Press this number if:
You need to investigate the disposition of an ACH entry
You have a non-Fedline related ACH Application specific question
• To speak to a Funds Transfer representative, Press 4.
Press this number if:
You need to investigate the disposition of a Funds Transfer
You have a non-Fedline related Funds Transfer Application specific question


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For all other service inquiries, Press 5.
Press this number if:
You have a service inquiry
You have a question regarding charges related to your Billing Statement
You have a question regarding your Statement of Account
You have a question about any other Federal Reserve service

FLASH-Light: Gone in a FLASH
The Federal Reserve System is in the process of developing a plan and setting a sunset date for the
elimination of all FLASH-Light connections. Since you will have to make a decision sometime in
the future, we wanted to address some of the advantages Fedline currently provides you. Based on
these advantages and benefits, you may want to make a decision and switch to Fedline now, so you
can beat the rush.
Printed records - Fedline customers can receive information automatically per their prearranged
schedule by using DOM (Dial Out Manager).
File Processing Options - Fedline users can download ACH and Check MICR files to a processing
system rather than having a correspondent process their information.
Convenience - Fedline offers convenience not available on FLASH-Light. For example, customers
can use the Derived Returns feature on Fedline to return ACH items or create NOC items. This
eliminates the need and expense of using EDITH or paper. Fedline also offers the convenience of
sending funds transfer messages online.
Additional Services - Fedline provides additional applications for all your Federal Reserve services.
Automated Auction
Reporting and Reserves
Accounting Services
Savings Bonds
Check Services
Securities Transfer
Tax Payer Deposits
Check Adjustments
Cash Services
Treasury Tax and Loan

Please call (314) 444-8711 or 1-800-333-0861 and press 1 for a Customer Accounts & Access Support
representative if you have questions on how Fedline can benefit your institution.

1997 Fedline Patch Tentative Deployment Schedule
The deployment schedule provided illustrates how important it is that your institution ensures that
the current Fedline software version is maintained. Your current Fedline version should be 2.40.90
to successfully receive the next scheduled patch. To verify your Fedline version at the sign-on screen,
press the <ALT> and <V> keys simultaneously. A window will appear to display your version.
The next patch scheduled for deployment is the new Book Entry Securities Transfer (BA) application. Because of the size of the BA application, we will be distributing this patch by mail to current
online Securities Transfer customers only.
Patch
NBES (Book Entry Securities)
(Securities Transfer Customers Only)
ACH Enhancements for EFTPS
Automated Auction
Funds Expanded Format (Send)
TaxPayer Deposits Application
PC Clean Up/IMS Router
Savings Bonds/Interstate Banking

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Tentative Deployment
April 1997

2nd Quarter 1997
August 1997
3rd Quarter 1997
3rd Quarter 1997
3rd Quarter 1997
1st Quarter 1998

1997 Fedline Training Schedule
Fedline training sessions last three days-a half day for Local Security Administration (LSA) training and two and a half days for Fedline training. The ACH Origination sessions are one-day sessions for current Fedline customers only. Each financial institution may send two staff members to
a training session. Check Adjustment, Security Transfer and Automated Auction are half-day training sessions and are scheduled on an "as needed" basis. When two training sessions are scheduled
in St. Louis during the same month, we will fill the week with ACH Origination training on Friday
before scheduling the second week of training. We reserve the right to cancel, add or reschedule
training sessions based on demand.
Date
April 15-17
April 18
April 30
May 6-8
May 13-15
May 16
May 20-22
June 17-19
June 20
July 8-10
July 11
July 22-24
July 25
August 12-14
August 15
August 19-21
August 22

Class
Fedline Training
Fedline ACH Origination Training
NBES Securities Transfer Fedline Training
NBES Securities Transfer Fedline Training
Fedline Training
Fedline ACH Origination Training
Fedline Training
Fedline Training
Fedline ACH Origination Training
Fedline Training
Fedline ACH Origination Training
Fedline Training
Fedline ACH Origination Training
Fedline Training
Fedline ACH Origination Training
Fedline Training
Fedline ACH Origination Training

Location
St. Louis
St. Louis
Memphis
St. Louis
St. Louis
St. Louis
St. Louis
St. Louis
St. Louis
St. Louis
St. Louis
Memphis
Memphis
Memphis
Memphis
St. Louis
St. Louis

For pricing or registration information, please call (314) 444-8711 or 1-800-333-0861 and press 1 for
a Customer Accounts & Access Support representative.


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